Nathaniel gets a speaking part

I don’t know that I would say that things are all better, but they have leveled out for the kids.

Nathaniel seemed to really take our talk to heart. My answers weren’t perfect but thankfully he trusts me to answer the best I can and it comforted his hurting heart.

Saturday I had to take the truck in…YET again…only to find out it was going to take work to keep it functional and on the road…AGAIN….and Peter and I finally came to the decision to replace it with a new vehicle. Peter and I have gone around and around with this issue and have beaten it into a bloody, messy pulp. In fact, it became such an issue that Peter is driving in from Alabama so that he can help with the picking and purchasing of said vehicle. It’ll be nice to have him home for the rest of the week.

This past Saturday we got to spend some time at the Mike Alstott celebrity softball game that benefits the Children’s Cancer Center. Because of the Oprah Big Give, ABCAction news was out there to catch the presentation of the 10,000$ donation to the Center and our friend Zack got to accept the check. Zack was kind enough to point out Peyton during his interview and then proceeded to drag the cameraman and the interviewer up to our seats. It’s a good thing that I always have something good to say about the Center, that’s one thing that I can never say enough wonderful things about. However, the moment that just broke my heart was the clip of Nathaniel. He told them that he was scared because some of the kids with cancer had died…that really says it all.

We only got to stay for about a third of the game, Peyton went into a steroid fit and really wasn’t safe for the general public. It was hot, it was loud, it was boring, it was too long, waaa, waaa, waaa. We left and she proceeded to cry the entire hour long ride home from Clearwater to Brandon…frankly, if I’d known she was going to bawl anyway, I might have just made her suck it up and stay. Nathaniel was highly ticked that he missed the chance to go out on the field and take a swing with the players, he didn’t get to get his football autographed, all he got was to be on TV and hang out with Hooters girls…poor kid. I can’t wait to show him the interview and let him see that he actually got to TALK this time!

Today was the start of the work on our house. Will, our contractor, came out and started stripping off the most hideous wallpaper in our kitchen. It was the wallpaper that we hated on sight, but knew that it could be replaced….7 years later!….and we’re finally getting rid of it. With the room a mess, the walls stripped bare and ICK from wallpaper glue, it still looks better without that wallpaper. I’m excited to see what happens over the next few days as paint goes up and new doors go in.

This afternoon I picked the kids up from school and headed to the CCC for the ribbon-making. A strand of gold ribbon to represent childhood cancer, a strip of red ribbon with black dots to represent Mathew’s favorite color and his favorite bug, the ladybug. Every person at the funeral tomorrow will wear one of these ribbons to honor Mathew. It was sad, but also a way for us to get together and just talk and share all that we’re feeling. I had the great pleasure to meet Mat’s sister Patti and her daughter Holli, it really truly stinks that it takes such an event to finally get to meet, but they were wonderful to finally get to meet her. We talked and laughed as we hot glued ourselves. I really only made 4 ribbons, I’ve expressed before how awful I am with a glue gun.

I really want to thank every friend who continues to pray for us, for the Gliddons and just lifts each and every family in prayer. The support and encouragement has really been amazing and I can’t tell you how much it means to us. I’ve gotten lots of emails and there have been comments left by people we’ve never heard from before, offering prayers and words of comfort. In a time that feels so dark God shines a bright light on us through all of you.

Tomorrow will be full of tears and sadness as we support another friend who is saying goodbye to their beloved child. In a way, our special and tight bond with the other families is such a huge blessing. I can’t imagine what our lives would be like without the strength of understanding and friendship we share. On the other hand, because we have so much love for each other, we hurt for each other so tremendously and every loss and set back is so personal. Maybe it would have been easier to be disconnected and not suffer through these hurts with them, but I wouldn’t give them up for the world. It makes me so much more grateful for every day we’re blessed to have, it makes my children so much more precious. I pray that each of you who have never gone through this cancer battle with your child remembers that life is a treasure and that you should never take a moment for granted.

f.r.o.G…fully relying on God
–Anissa

p.s….for those of you who are so “concerned” and like to rub salt in that wound, NO I have not found the missing chapstick. Also, you’ll be happy to know that in the time that I spent trying to figure out how a softball got in my freezer, I failed to actually remove the softball FROM the freezer. Yes, its still there.

Thank you to the many who shared their stories of mild-early-onset CRAZY. The mom who packed the home phone in her son’s overnight bag, the garlic that got put into the silverware drawer, trips to the ATM only to find that there is no ATM card…it’s wonderful to know that in my mind lapses, I am joined by a large group of equally forgetful and slightly off-balance moms. It’s nice to know I’m not alone.

I cannot fail to mention my wonderful friend Tina….Tina who let me know today (and should have totally known that this would end up on our blog) that she just found out that the CCC had a women’s bathroom! Right around the corner from the men’s bathroom that she’s been using for almost 8 months now….the one with the big MEN sign on the door! Oh, I love my crazy friends.